No Jeans, Vaccine, Faux Leather, Tea and Tee

Yes. More Jeans saga.

The blue jeans I received after getting the reassurance from Mr. Dickman that they sent the correct item was, in fact, the correct item. The SKU number matched the one on the website. And then it hit me. 

I searched and dug out the plastic bag that the first pair came in, and that one had the same/correct SKU too. 

So what happened? The problem wasn't the they sent the wrong item. The problem was that the person who uploaded the description in the first place had done so erroneously. The description didn't match the item that belonged to that SKU. 

I wrote to Mr. Dickman and told him I figured out their problem. They (some other guy who was on helpdesk duty) said they would look into the matter. Meanwhile I've returned the jeans. 

The following day I went to H&M - the physical store, cos I was going to meet BIKSS for English Tea after he got his shot (HURRAY!). 

(Tea was so good btw... I had been having visions of the last place we had English tea - to celebrate Valentine's day - that I told BIKSS we just HAD to go back there again. I'm not kidding. I was having VISIONS!)

(It did not disappoint. If anything, I enjoyed it even more this second time around. The next time we go there, I told him, let's just get their 6-scone plate and a pot of tea. Their scones and preserves are really what I'm after anyway, and this tea set was just too much food! And trust me, there WILL be a next time.)

So anyway...  where was I? Oh yes. I had some time to kill before he would be done so I went into the store and tried on the white pair that I ordered. Turns out it didn't fit quite right. So I knew that when it came I would have to send it back. 

(True enough, when I got home later that evening the parcel had arrived and I put them on and they didn't fit so I requested a return/refund.)

I DID find some faux leather pants and skirt tho, and because I've been dying for a pair of faux leather pants (#sed that the Shein ones didn't work out for me) for the longest time, I simply had to get these. 

They were just shy of 13 bucks. (I admit it's a weird angle and doesn't look very flattering here, but trust me, they look much better in person!)

And just to be sure I wouldn't regret this purchase, I walked around the store in them for a bit, as I was looking for something else in a different size. I told the fitting room assistant that I was just going to pop out for a sec, if that was alright. She said yes. 

So off I went wandered about in them... hung around a rack or two looking for some other pieces, then went back into the fitting room. The verdict - very comfortable, I could walk in them, and there was no weird sticking-to-skin happening. 

I also got this skirt - a bit more high-waisted than my usual, but since I've found myself wishing on more than one occasion that I had such a skirt, I figured it was time to add such a one to my wardrobe. This one was just under $11. (I had my white V-neck Shein tee on today.)

BIKSS approves. And before you think what a poor thing he is being left out of my shopping spree, he has this cute panda shirt coming, and I've also ordered an "ice silk" tee shirt for him - apparently they're very thin and cool and work great as undershirts. And for $5, wot? We decided to give it a whirl. Will update when it arrives. 

The panda tee is a Shein buy. I'll show you the rest of my haul when it gets here. 

And in an effort to also be mindful of accessorising, I've been wearing my pendant bracelet and earrings again. It takes a bit of planning cos I can't wear all my earrings, what with the mask loops getting in the way, but I can manage a few of my shorter danglies. The longer ones will just have to take a back seat for another year or two at least... 

And while you're here, what do you think, does the gold or silver look better on my skin? Let me know in the comments!

My mood pic today ~ 

This Week I Learnt About Pockets

I have to say a huge THANK YOU to PK as her comment on one of my posts led me on a search for the history of women's pockets. 

I found some articles, and now I'm suitably annoyed at the inequality of pocket-availability and accessibility. 

(Also, I think it's built into our DNA - when I find something that has functional pockets, I'm totally thrilled! Also BIKSS has said to me that whenever I get a new piece of clothing, I'll immediately point out the pockets if it has them! And I'm not the only one who does that - my friends will point out pockets in new outfits too!)

Here are some links if you would like to read a bit more on the subject. 

The Bewildering and Sexist History of Women’s Pockets

"As women’s fashion evolved in the 1790s, the pocket slowly began to disappear as more figure hugging dresses came in fashion. Women had to revert to having their ‘pockets’ on show to the world, opting for small decorative bags, called reticules, that could scarcely fit a hankie and a coin. This was essentially an embodiment of the fact that women had next to no access to money or property, therefore wouldn’t need a functional pocket."

The Ridiculous Reason Most Women's Clothes Don't Have Real Pockets

(Includes an audio of the podcast episode Where the f*** are the pockets on women's clothing? on Stuff Mom Never Told You)

"Some say it was a way to keep women powerless. If they had no way to secretly carry items around, it would be harder for them to travel independently or conduct clandestine affairs."

How society decided that women can't have pockets

"Men were much more likely to lock their keys in the car, but nearly half of all women reported that they often didn’t even know where their keys were.

But it’s not women’s fault. It’s the fault of the psychopathic sadists in charge of making their clothes."

(If you prefer to watch / listen to that article instead of reading it, there's a Youtube video on that page or you can click on this link - Why women's clothes should have pockets)

The Politics of Pockets

"Writing for The Spectator in 2011, Paul Johnson offers a witty, thumbnail history of the sartorial convention of the pocket, and he caps his piece with a 1954 Christian Dior bon mot: "Men have pockets to keep things in, women for decoration." 

Tease apart that quote and you get a fairly essentialist view of gender roles as they play out in clothing. Men’s dress is designed for utility; women’s dress is designed for beauty. It’s not a giant leap to see how pockets, or the lack thereof, reinforce sexist ideas of gender. Men are busy doing things; women are busy being looked at. Who needs pockets?"

(Scroll all the way to the end of the page for the video version... )

So, ladies, let me know what you think about the whole pocket - no pocket - faux pocket situation.

I would love to hear your comments on this topic. Did you know there was such a thing? Were you aware of the political / sexist implications? Are you a fan of pockets? Is it a make-or-break for you? 

Let me know down below! 

My mood pic today ~ 

The Dickman and other Updates

Remember the faux/no pocket jeans? 

I wrote to the customer service people and told them that even though I would be keeping the "wrong" jeans, I wanted them to know that this is the second of 2 packages that contained a wrong item, and since I was waiting on another pair, that I really hope it would be the correct item this time.

The first customer service rep apologised for the error and then asked me to furnish him with the order number of the white jeans I was expecting. I gave him the number and said that I had actually also placed another repeat order for the blue jeans I didn't get the first time round. And I said I really hope this time they get it right. 

The reply I got after that came from a different guy. He asked me for a photo of the "wrong" jeans, and then asked if I had worn them / washed them. I said "Yes, I've worn them, but I intend to keep them since I know they can't be exchanged/ returned without tags and anyway I should have checked when I received them." But that this email was just to let the team know to CHECK the items before sending out the package so I don't end up with more stuff I didn't order. 

I dunno, maybe the first guy sent it up to someone higher on the food chain cos I've now reported TWO wrong deliveries. New guy asked me for both order numbers (for the white pair and the repeat blue pair) and at first he only signed off as Eddy. But the LAST email I received had his full name on it. I was TOTALLY amused.  It almost  makes the mix-up worth it!

In other news, I've now completed sewing the beads in that green square (I'm using the same picture from the post on Saturday so you can see a comparison). So, hurray for progress! 

My mood pic today ~ 

Videos From Around the Web

Happy Tuesday. Instead of pics, here are some videos!

Enjoy these - 

1) Official World Record! Fantastic Classical Music Medley played by a Train

2) BALLS Episode 9 - Brent Ray Fraser and his ball prints & some info on CBT 

3) Pricasso the penis painter

4) Sexiest Got Talent Auditions

(I especially like the lady in the Croation segment!)

My mood pic today ~

Burgers and Buys

Last Friday. I made the dinner plan cos BIKSS seemed to be having some pretty busy days at work. And I needed to get things for the house too - a little trolley that would fit between my cupboard and the wall (where things had begun to pile up that didn't feel like they qualified as "temporary" anymore) and I was in the market for a headlamp so that sewing those beads on my shoes wouldn't blind me. 

I found a mall which was relatively unpopular, so it wouldn't be too crowded. And gave BIKSS a choice of Carl's Jr or a local hotpot for dinner. We ended up with delicious low carb burgers at Carl's with fried zucchini and sugarless green tea, and a side of grilled chicken salad. 

Way more satisfying than our Shake Shack adventure. 

That's his bun-less chicken BLT

That's my bun-less cod fillet burger

And that's the chicken salad and the round discs are the fried zucchini poppers

Originally I wanted to hop into a store that sells random plastic household storage items, but it turns out I found what I wanted earlier in the day on the way to my IPL session. 

I'm terrifically pleased that I found this teeny tiny trolley that fits perfectly!

All that was left to do after dinner was head to a home depot / DIY mashup type of store, where I found this for $3. 

I've been sewing with it all morning and it's a dream! I can see so much more clearly now. 

And while some buys have been hits, some have been misses too! Remember I said they sent me the wrong pack of socks? 

Well, it turns out they sent the wrong pair of jeans too. But I was so excited that they fit so well that I didn't realise they weren't the ones I ordered. And since I've worn them and cut off all the tags, I can't exactly return them now. 

I ORDERED THESE -  

Skinny Regular Ankle Jeans

5-pocket jeans in stretch denim with a mid waist, zip fly and slim legs.

But I got THESE instead - 

Skinny Regular Ankle Jeans

Jeans in washed, stretch denim with a regular waist and zip fly and button. 

Fake front pockets, real back pockets and skinny legs.

When I tried them on I did think the colour was a bit lighter than I expected, but put it down to monitor-colour-difference. It was only when I wore them last night to go out to dinner that I realised there were no pockets as I made to stick my hands in them. Then it dawned on me... the colour WAS off, but that's because it's the wrong style. Well, the length and cut and rise are the same, just that it's the faux pockets version, not the REAL pockets one. 

And I was upset. Upset enough that BIKSS, knowing how my brain works, and knowing that I would be uncomfortable every time I wore them, said why don't I go ahead and buy another pair, the RIGHT ones, and he'd pay for them. "Think of them as a present from me to you. I'll give you a gift ... of pockets." I laughed. 

I can afford another pair, of course, they ended up costing only $12 cos of discount codes and all that, but I think what I was really asking for was 'permission' to do something most regular people would think was crazy and totally extra and unnecessary. I mean, since it's not like I couldn't wear these or that they didn't look good (I totally love how they look... now that I've worn them out).  

But BIKSS knows this slightly off-centre brain of mine won't be at ease till I got the pair I wanted. And besides, he says, think of how inconvenient it would be for him to wrap his arms around my waist from behind me and reach for my front jeans pockets to slip his hands into, only to be met with FAUX/NO pockets! 

I'm also waiting for a pair of similar styled white jeans to arrive, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that both of them will be the right ones!

Skinny High Jeans

5-pocket jeans in washed stretch denim with a high waist, zip fly and slim legs.

And why am I going jeans-crazy? Cos H&M jeans actually fit me. WELL. And they're usually at least double the price. So if I can get them at $12-$14 a pair, that's less than half what I would have to pay in-store. 

I'll update when they arrive. Fingers crossed.

My mood pic today ~

What Am I Watching

After Poldark (I talked about that in my Procrastinating post) I watched Harlots

(Click on the titles to watch the trailers on Youtube.)

Season 1 trailer ☝

The Fondles Synopsis - 

2 

Brothel Owners

Always Ever Plotting

Against Each Others' Houses

After Harlots I watched Miss Scarlet and the Duke

Official trailer ☝

The Fondles Synopsis - 

Dad dies

Daughter becomes detective

Police inspector is a bit of a shit

But he plays a lovely game of "let's not argue" in the last few minutes of the last episode.

And now I'm on season 2 of The Mandalorian

Season 1 Trailer ☝

The Fondles Synopsis - 

Dude hunts baby yoda.

Dude saves baby yoda.

Dude is hunted for baby yoda.

Baby yoda is NOT baby yoda.

Call the Midwife is back with season 10 I believe... I can't wait for that to drop :)

Season 10 Trailer ☝

The Fondles Synopsis - 

Women get pregnant

Midwives get called

Babies get born

You're welcome :)

My mood pic today ~ 

Kasut Manek

Kasut - shoe  / Manek - bead : aka Beaded Shoes. 

I decided that I would continue sewing the beaded shoes I have on the frame currently. It's been many years since I started this pair and I think it's time I try to finish it. 

It's not like my social life is thriving... and I mostly sit around in the evenings watching telly and tap-tapping on my fone while I'm fiddling with some game or other. 

So here are the pics of the two pairs I've done, and the current one with videos of the beads. Enjoy the spam. 

The black ones were my first pair, the purply pink one my second.

If you look closely you'll see they're actually different shades of blue. Although it's not as obvious when they're on my feet.

The black beads are slightly translucent and the bore was so tiny I had to get super fine needles - I must have gone through at least half a dozen cos over time they would bend and break, more often than not the 'eye' bit would break off... sigh. I've since changed to a different type of black bead. The current pair I'm working on allows me to use regular sized needles, albeit the smallest one in the box. I've only broken 2 so far.

That be my feet in them shoes

Close up of the second pair

I quite like the ankle strap detail on this pair

And I selected a slightly more funky looking heel too!

The pair I'm currently working on. That orange bit I marked out took me about 45 minutes. 31 beads. 

My hand on the frame, for size comparison

My bead box

The new black beads with bigger bore

The needle I'm using presently and my fingers vs the bead size - there are two different sizes there too from left to right Small / Big / Small / Big. 

And some videos of me trying to show you the size of those wretched tiny beads. 

(Incidentally, if one were to buy these shoes ready-made it would cost about $300-$400 for beads this size. They do have slippers and shoes made with larger beads but they don't look as fine/delicate. However, they are easier to handle - maybe 3-4 times the size of the beads I use - so they're usually less expensive. Those may cost about $100-$150 a pair. And because size does matter, the larger your feet, the pricier the shoe.)

From the wiki entry on Peranakan beaded shoes - 

The intricacy and fine workmanship of a pair of the beaded slipper is also a hallmark of highly accomplished Peranakan women, also known as Nyonya, whose skills in embroidery and beadwork are highly valued.

In the past they not only beaded their shoes, but also bags, table runners, pouches; anything that was made of cloth and could be beaded was beaded. 

From the wiki entry on Peranakan cut beads - 

Peranakan cut beads (Peranakan: Manek potong) are faceted glass beads used by the Peranakan women to make Peranakan beaded slippers (kasot manek) and other Peranakan artifacts like wedding veils, handbags, belts, tapestries and pouches.

Did they have to make things so complicated? Yes, apparently. 

The more skilled a young lady was at embroidery and beading, cooking and sewing, crocheting and knitting, the more valued she was as a potential bride. (My mum embroidered her own matrimonial bed pillowcases and sheets, and my sister wore only original designs that my mum sewed right up to the age of 8 or 9. As an infant I had a bunch of crocheted sweaters and hats and mittens, courtesy of mum. And while I did have store-bought clothes, my birthday party dresses were always mum originals.)

Goodness knows WHY cos as far as I can remember the Peranakans have been a matriarchal society; the men went to work and came home with their paycheques, gave it all to the wife, and she would handle everything from bills to frills. It's not like she sat around sewing or beading or knitting. She was a busy woman!

It was not uncommon for the wife to set aside a portion of her husband's salary for him to get to and from work and have a little bit leftover - "Here's $60 for transport and food for the month, and an extra $40 to get you to a round $100, honey," - and then plan the budget with the remainder - from daily essentials to the kids' spending money, setting aside a small amount monthly towards savings, and then keeping a separate fund for once-a-year expenses like money for red packets at Chinese New Year, Christmas presents, and birthday parties. 

My mum was brilliant at managing the family's money. Me, well, I kinda suck at money things in general. I'm only sorting out my finances NOW in my late 40s, would you believe it! 

I can cook and sew so by traditional Peranakan standards I'd be a valuable bride - but I would bring the family to financial ruin! LOL.

My mood pic today ~

The Stuff Arrived

The stuff is here! 

The purple shoes were too tight. Pretty. But tight. So I'm returning it. 

My Nikes are comfy. I've already tried them out - no complaints. These are gonna be my indoor aerobics aka jump-around shoes. 

BIKSS tried on his NB shoes - perfect fit! We wiggled our toes at each other in them when he came over to try them on. LOL. I like that he plays with me! It was just a bit of silly fun... And then he skipped around in them. And when I asked him what he was doing he said "This is what YOU do when you have new shoes and try them on to show me!" NO I DON'T, I said. Wait. But then, maybe I do,  lol.

They sent the wrong pack of socks.. "I'll look like a snake" he said. But arranging for an exchange / return-reorder would take up way too much time / effort / energy... so we decided to just keep them. He tried them on and they fit him too. So, hurray for new socks. 

(He wears 'em to work everyday, I don't wear socks quite as much as he does... so mine don't wear out as quickly... which is why I was very relieved that they fit him. Or else I'd have enough socks to last me 5 lifetimes. As it is I already have some brand new ones that have been on standby for more than a year!)

His M&S berms fit too, but that's to be expected as he already has two pairs of the same ones. 

---

And after placing that first order I went ahead and got myself a pair of jeans from H&M as they were a new addition to the Zalora platform and there was some promo code offering 20% off. After that discount, and another 20% off for using the Atome app, I ended up paying $14 for these - 

They're stretchy but not too tight, and the seat hugs my bum pretty snugly. I'm glad it doesn't look saggy and baggy! 

SCORE! 

Last night we had dinner at a Mexican place. Not the greatest dinner, poor BIKSS wasn't a fan of the shrimp enchilada, but I quite enjoyed it. We also had stuffed jalapenos (which he DID like) and a seabass fillet. 

shrimp ench.

stuffed jalap.

fish - we had them swap out the cilantro rice for veggies for a lower carb option

And speaking of low carb, I'm on a don't-eat-more-than-you-have-to-diet AND I'm engaging in a daily 10-20 min exercise routine and it seems to be really helping with the weight control. I've gone back down to 56ish kg. My usual is 57+ to 59 (period weight!) so getting under 57 is rather unexpected. Whether it's cos I'm expending more calories, or the daily activity is helping with the metabolism, I don't know. But I'm happy about it. 

BIKSS is also seeing numbers which are making him happy... and we're excited to say, he's getting his vaccine next week! 

All in all, we're feeling pretty good about ourselves! 

Oh, I also wore the white Shein Shoes when we went out for dinner, and they held up pretty decently. I didn't get blisters or any pains anywhere (especially not where I was expecting some pinching) till we were almost home... but that's probably also because we headed out to M&S after dinner and walked around a fair bit.. BIKSS is in the market for a new suit. But may end up just getting it tailored. 

And that's about it for today. We'll be going out to dinner later so I'll share more pics soon, I expect. But for now, have a great weekend!

My mood pic today ~ (face smushing is always fun!)

A - Z Shopping

Ok, not A to Z but A and Z.

There's an app called Atome that offers lots of vouchers / discounts promos in a buy now pay later format. It's interes-free over 3 installments, but that's not why I like it - I use it cos of the offers! 

There's also an app / site called Zalora that ships to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, so if you're in any of these countries you could totally shop their site. I've used Zalora before and so far it has been more hits than misses. Their return policy is awesome and there's a collection station within walking distance of my house, so it's very convenient.

It's recently gotten on board with the Atome app and there was a splendid $10 off every purchase - $10 min spend promo last weekend. No codes, no pre-purchase of vouchers, you just click on Atome as your payment mode and it's automatically applied. Along with the in-house Zalora codes and promos we managed to do a spot of shopping whilst out running errands on Saturday. 

BIKSS needed to get some LED lights so he asked if I was up for a car ride. ALWAYS! 

Along the way I told him I picked up a pair of Nike women's runners for $48 instead of $89. That's some serious savings! (The last pair I picked up cost me about $90 and that was at the Nike outlet store. Nike here retails for upwards of $150 at least.)

He agreed that it was pretty awesome. 

And as he needs new sports shoes too, we browsed the app in the car. 

In the end we managed to score some  New Balance shoes, in-house brand socks (which we added to qualify for free shipping - $4.20 for socks iso paying $4.90 for shipping is a great trade-off!), Marks & S berms and Nose purple flat sling-backs (that's the same brand as my red slingbacks and black strappy heels) for a total of $90. We saved about $43. 

He probably felt it took too much effort, but as I was doing the work, he was spared the hassle! 

Now we sit and wait for the goods to arrive. And if they don't fit, well, we'll just return them. 

He asked me what I would wear them with. ANYTHING I said. Shoes are my pop of colour as I have so many neutral pieces clothing-wise. It's not unusual for me to be in monochromatic black so a coloured shoe is never too much of a problem for me. 

He has these in beige and navy and in fact had been wearing the navy ones that day. I mentioned that he looked good in them. They fit him really well. So he decided he didn't mind getting another. (He's definitely paying more attention to his personal style these days!)

The multi-pack. If he can't wear them, I will.

The NB shoes he chose. I hope they fit. He really does need new shoes.

My mood pic today ~